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Plenty of ways to deposit money without going to a branch, I fund mine with Faster Payments, and you could always send in a cheque. I haven't been in a Metro branch since I opened my account on a visit to London from Scotland quite a few years ago, and have not been adversely impacted in any way.

”

I opened a Metro Bank account without having to visit a branch.

A few years back they announced they were going to open out to potential customers who didn't live in branch areas, so I contacted head office enquiring about details. Received a polite letter from the CEO promising to include me in due course.

They eventually reneged on this however (trying to run before learning to walk) so I wrote back and he apologised and honoured his promise, allowing my application by mail.

This was actioned by a senior colleague in double quick time and the card etc. dropped through the letterbox soon thereafter.

I was attracted to the then worldwide ATM fee free offer, since revised to Europe only - still a good deal.

Not our principal current account, but fine for SEPA zone countries when on holiday.

No idea what will happen after the dreaded Brexit !!!

A Starling account is fee free worldwide for hole in the wall usage, so it's probably a better option.

Went through the online application for a current account, uploaded a photo of my passport and a selfie quoted my basic pension and age (67 years), provided more than 3 years address history and consented to "checks" including my more perfect than perfect credit history.

Lo and behold rejected on the grounds that I don't meet their criteria and it's not the best account for me! Not recommended for O.A.P.s eh?

Went through the online application for a current account, uploaded a photo of my passport and a selfie quoted my basic pension and age (67 years), provided more than 3 years address history and consented to "checks" including my more perfect than perfect credit history.

Lo and behold rejected on the grounds that I don't meet their criteria and it's not the best account for me! Not recommended for O.A.P.s eh?

I’m slightly younger at 66 but was accepted with no issues – albeit in branch, not online – and didn’t have to provide any details of income. Perhaps it was my youthful looks that did it – or perhaps not

I!!!8217;m slightly younger at 66 but was accepted with no issues !!!8211; albeit in branch, not online !!!8211; and didn!!!8217;t have to provide any details of income. Perhaps it was my youthful looks that did it !!!8211; or perhaps not

Cannot comment further because I have entered Metro Bank's complaints procedure. It was online and therefore an automatic procedure but their email following the online decline confirms their decline which in itself is probably also automatic.

Cannot comment further because I have entered Metro Bank's complaints procedure. It was online and therefore an automatic procedure but their email following the online decline confirms their decline which in itself is probably also automatic.

Banks are free to decide who they have or do not have as customers and from your positing history and financial behavior both in the past and more recently your credit history is not more perfect than perfect!

Banks are free to decide who they have or do not have as customers and from your positing history and financial behavior both in the past and more recently your credit history is not more perfect than perfect!

How do you know that my credit history is not perfect? Do you have access to my credit history?

Let's look at this in more detail: First and foremost if a bank says they will check a CRA but they don't do that then the reason for declining must be something else. Now if that same bank does not specify a minimum income and states that the minimum balance is nil then the reason for the decline must be something else. All that's left is age and state pension.

Just because no minimum income is specified doesn't mean there is no minimum income, or acceptable income type. Banks don't have to (and do not) tell you absolutely all their criteria before you apply.

Just because no minimum income is specified doesn't mean there is no minimum income, or acceptable income type. Banks don't have to (and do not) tell you absolutely all their criteria before you apply.

If there is a minimum income and/or income type they should state it. Conversely if they do have a minimum income and income type and that falls above the level of a state pensioner then they are discriminating against state pensioners!

Metro Bank were silly in giving definite reasons for the decline and even more silly in giving reasons which can so easily be verified. And yet even more silly in referring to unwritten and therefore unverifiable "criteria".

Age discrimination in finance needs to be stamped out. It's been going on for far too long: Try google searches to verify that. For a start making someone ineligible for finance purely because they have reached a certain older age is ridiculous. Further, it should concern everyone because as time passes everyone is getting older!

Commenting on the generally held premise that challenger banks are the future of banking, if Metro Bank is the future then we can expect a bleak future indeed possibly harking back to the bad old days before basic bank accounts!

and now I am green with envy!... or not..... Never seen a Metro bank, think they must be a very rare species in the rural zones!
Perhaps I need my binoculars out.............. then I can report... a bit like seeing the first cuckoo of spring!

There is a Metro Bank Store recently opened in the city where I live. But since the area has a large percentage of O.A.P.s and Disabled I think we might jump the gun and already refer to that Store as "failed". Hey I could be wrong but I doubt it.

Banks are free to decide who they have or do not have as customers and from your positing history and financial behavior both in the past and more recently your credit history is not more perfect than perfect!

What is a more perfect than perfect credit history? Well if you know about the credit history you can answer that for yourself.

Credit Unions don't report to CRAs? Really? Oh yes they do!

The rest of your post is irrelevant to this thread. You would do well to concentrate on the topic. It works wonders for your credibility.

I don't see why my credit history is relevant because I have already stated that there is no search of any description from Metro Bank on Equifax which Metro Bank quoted as having searched. Metro Bank must have based their decision purely on my application! Do try to keep up.

I'm not desperate for a Metro Bank account. My requirements of a bank account are very simple: I require a bank to be efficient and fair and Metro Bank have already proved themselves to be neither of those!

Last edited by Anthorn; 14-02-2018 at 4:23 AM.
Reason: Last paragraph added

How do you know that my credit history is not perfect? Do you have access to my credit history?

Let's look at this in more detail: First and foremost if a bank says they will check a CRA but they don't do that then the reason for declining must be something else. Now if that same bank does not specify a minimum income and states that the minimum balance is nil then the reason for the decline must be something else. All that's left is age and state pension.

From your posting history it is obvious you do not have a perfect credit history.

You have had financial problems in the past
You have moved relatively recently
You carry balances on credit cards and pay interest as you think this makes you look like a more profitable customer
You have a number of relatively new accounts
You have a very low income

The above makes me and presumably banks think you do not have a perfect credit history

Do you pay for equifax or via a free service like clear score? If you are paying - stop and save. A credit check soft or hard may not appear instantly on the service you subscribe to so could show in the coming weeks.

Banks can have unpublished eligibility criteria and you may well have failed to have high enough income for example.

From your posting history it is obvious you do not have a perfect credit history.

You have had financial problems in the past
You have moved relatively recently
You carry balances on credit cards and pay interest as you think this makes you look like a more profitable customer
You have a number of relatively new accounts
You have a very low income

The above makes me and presumably banks think you do not have a perfect credit history

Do you pay for equifax or via a free service like clear score? If you are paying - stop and save. A credit check soft or hard may not appear instantly on the service you subscribe to so could show in the coming weeks.

Banks can have unpublished eligibility criteria and you may well have failed to have high enough income for example.

The first part of your post quoted is completely irrelevant because I have confirmed that Metro Bank did not search my credit history on Equifax which they quoted as having searched. I subscribe to Equifax and they report in real time but I suppose they could be over 10 days late in reporting a Metro Bank search. Doubtful though.

I have been quite open about my financial difficulties and the means I used to rebuild my credit history. But I have also been quite open about my difficulties arising in 2007/8 out of the banking crisis. But in relation to my Metro Bank application that in itself is irrelevant because they didn't do a credit search and even if they did the defaulted accounts which were incidentally fully paid and settled have dropped off my credit history.

If banks have unpublished criteria how are we to decide whether we should apply and whether our application is successful? Metro Bank itself does not publish a required minimum income but states that the minimum required balance is nil.

However we look at Metro Bank in relation to my application what emerges is highly suspect because practically the only areas I would have failed is age, employment and income which as I have already stated discriminates against state pensioners!

So therefore we just allow banks to discriminate against a comparatively large section of the U.K. population with impunity. In that case where does the discrimination end?

Let me put this in more graphic terms: A person works all their life, pays all their taxes and insurance and pays all their bills and then when they get older they retire and take their state pension and whammo they cannot get a bank account!

A person works all their life, pays all their taxes and insurance and pays all their bills and then when they get older they retire and take their state pension and whammo they cannot get a bank account!

Which country are you talking about? To be denied a bank account in the UK they'd have to have been involved in some fraudulent activities and have some CIFAS markers as a consequence. Besides, someone who has been working all their life as you describe will already have at least one bank account. Speaking from my own experience, I opened over two dozen bank accounts after retiring.

Have you actually read this thread? I don't have any of those things on my credit history now nor at any time in the past. Yet I was denied an account with Metro Bank. In fact over the 6 years life of my credit history there are also no late payments, no minimum payments, no missed payments, no cash advances, no defaults nor arrangements to pay. But then Metro Bank wouldn't know about that because they have not searched my credit history on all three CRAs.

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